The Second Chance of Benjamin Waterfalls

Thirteen-year-old Ojibwe Benjamin Waterfalls excels at shoplifting and justifies his myriad offenses by citing the usurping of Native lands ("This is America. Everybody steals. This country was founded on theft"). When a judge sentences him to juvenile detention, though, his mother suggests an alternate punishment: sending Ben to the Grand Portage Indian Reservation, three hours north of their home in Duluth, Minn. There, he will spend time with his father, whom he despises, and stepfamily, while attending an Ojibwe "boot camp" led by the chief's 12-year-old daughter Niimi Waatese, who wears a mask over her eyes. As Ben struggles through the camp's regimen, he must reconcile the thrill of stealing with the growing awareness that his actions affect others, and that this may be his last chance to "find the right path home." While a too-neat ending undercuts the book's emotional resonance, Ben's voice is snappy and captivating, and Bird (The Brave), who is Ojibwe, delivers an uplifting narrative that demonstrates how returning to one's roots can have transformative power. Select chapters open with an Ojibwe word or phrase; Native customs and traditions feature throughout. Ages 10-14. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio.(Apr.)

The bravado and feigned indifference in Benny's voice is spot-on for a kid hiding the pain of his father's abandonment, and the times he lets himself contemplate how truly awful it felt to be left behind are heartbreakingly realistic. ....It's a hard lesson, but it's grounded in love, and readers will be happy to see Benny and his father get their second chances. — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (BCCB)